ISLAMABAD: Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court, was sworn in on Monday as the Acting Chief Justice of Pakistan, as Chief Justice Yahya Afridi embarked on an official visit abroad.
The oath was administered by Justice Munib Akhtar during a simple and dignified ceremony held at the Supreme Court in Islamabad.
The appointment was confirmed through a press release issued by the apex court, stating that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would serve as the acting top judge during the period of Chief Justice Afridi’s overseas engagements.
The ceremony was attended by fellow Supreme Court judges, the Attorney General for Pakistan, senior lawyers, and officers of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan. Supreme Court Additional Registrar Syed Zakria Ali Shah conducted the proceedings, which were also witnessed by the court’s officers and staff.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi is currently leading Pakistan’s delegation to the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of SCO Member States, being held in Hangzhou, China, from April 22 to 26, 2025. He is accompanied by Justices Aminuddin Khan and Shahid Waheed, along with two district judges from remote regions—Zafar Jan, District and Sessions Judge of Gwadar, and Nadia Gul Wazir, Senior Civil Judge of Lakki Marwat.
The SCO judicial summit is expected to feature high-level deliberations on strengthening regional legal cooperation, and Pakistan is anticipated to sign a key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Supreme People’s Court of China. The agreement will focus on enhancing judicial collaboration, capacity building, and exchange of knowledge between the two countries.
Justice Afridi was sworn in as the 30th Chief Justice of Pakistan on October 26, 2024, at the President House in Islamabad. His appointment marked a shift in the judicial selection process, following the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which transferred the power of appointing the Chief Justice from the presidency to the Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC).
Previously, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court was automatically appointed as Chief Justice. Under that precedent, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah—who was next in line in terms of seniority—had been expected to assume the position. However, the SPC ultimately chose Justice Afridi, then third on the seniority list after Justice Munib Akhtar.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah will oversee Supreme Court matters in an acting capacity until Justice Afridi returns from his foreign commitments, which include further engagements in Istanbul, where he is scheduled to attend the 63rd Anniversary of the Turkish Constitutional Court from April 24 to 27, on the invitation of its President, Kadir Özkaya.
